The Acting Company presents a staged reading of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse's State of the Union Dec. 10 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center on East 25th Street.

Margaret Colin

Directed and updated by Emmy winner Tom Fontana, the reading is scheduled to feature the talents of Margaret Colin, Dana Ivey, David Lansbury, Kathleen McNeeny, Tom Hewitt, Brian Reddy, Jeffrey Bender, Erik Steele, Mia Barron, Anderson Matthews and Henry Vick. NY1 reporter Roma Torre will narrate the evening, which begins at 7 PM. A reception with the cast will follow the performance, which is the first of four rarely produced works to be presented in the Salon Series, which benefits the Acting Company.

State of the Union, according to press notes, is described as such: "When a successful businessman is tapped to run for President, he learns he must compromise his values and curtail his honest, outspoken style to win votes. Politics nearly get the best of him until his wife reminds him of what he stands for, raising questions about an electoral process that eschews honesty and candor for cronyism and backroom deal making."

In a statement director Fontana said, "I tried to not just fill in the blanks (for example, replace 'Truman' with 'Bush') but to contemporize the language and the situations while still maintaining its fifties charm and simple honesty."

The Baruch Performing Arts Center is located in Manhattan at East 25th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. For tickets, priced $35 and $60, call (212) 258-3111.

*

The Acting Company, America's foremost touring repertory theatre and arts education program, was honored in 2003 with the Tony for Excellence in Theater. Founded in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley, its alumni include Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Jeffrey Wright, Frances Conroy, Casey Biggs and Jesse L. Martin.